Four days after Grayson Murray's death, the golf world was still trying to make sense of the tragedy.
Murray withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday, citing illness. The next day his parents confirmed that he had died by suicide at the age of 30. PGA Tour players wore red and black ribbons in his honour for the rest of that tournament and were still struggling to understand his death as the RBC Canadian Open, the next event on the schedule, was starting.
"I always felt like he had a really good heart and wanted to help people," said Mackenzie Hughes, noting that Murray had been open about his struggles with alcoholism, anxiety, and depression. "I think he was doing that as well by speaking about what he was dealing with.
"I think it helps people realize that professional athletes that are making lots of money are also dealing with the same things that everyone else deals with, would resonate with a lot of people."
Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., entered the PGA Tour around the same time Murray did. A member of the PGA Tour's players advisory council, Hughes said he hoped that Murray's death and his family's decision to disclose how he died would help others to seek help if they needed it.
"If that's going to be his legacy, that's a pretty great one to leave, that it's OK to not be OK," said Hughes. "I'm thinking about his family and people close to him, because I know it was so sudden, so unexpected.
"I know the Tour will look at how we can be better there, how we can continue to help people like that that are struggling and hopefully avoid this in the future."
LPGA Tour star Brooke Henderson said that although she had never met Murray, she sent her condolences to his family and friends.
The 26-year-old from of Smiths Falls, Ont., also spoke about how she maintains her mental health.
"I try to keep a good balance between golf and just regular life," she said ahead of the U.S. Women's Open in Lancaster, Pa. "Life can be very hard. Golf can be very hard. I just try to be grateful for all the opportunities that I've been given and just trying to get a little bit better every day and try to tell the people around me that I'm grateful for all they've done and I love them."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
